Blog:FOREST LAKE TALKS

February 5, 2025
How do you feel about the Super Bowl? Are you someone who enjoys the game and will watch it in its entirety? Someone who just cares about the advertisements? Someone who
recently became an Eagles fan due to Chiefs fatigue? Someone who simply won’t watch it?

The statistics surrounding the Super Bowl are stunning. In 2024, more than 123 million
people watched the 3 hour/53 minute game, making it the most-watched television event
to date. I’m assuming we’ll break another record this year, and if so, more than 124 million
people will also watch 30-second advertisements that cost between $7-8 million.

Why does the Super Bowl tap into our emotions and interests so much?

We love a good story. We love the idea that Patrick Mahomes could become the first
quarterback to win three Super Bowls in a row. If we’re Taylor Swift followers, we love the
camera shots every time Travis Kelce makes a big play. We admire Saquon Barkley’s
phenomenal comeback year in a career that has been disrupted at times. We love the
Snickers advertisement that shows Andy Reid saying to the field painter, “That’s great. Who are the Chefs?”

As Christians, we also love Jesus, and we profess what we believe each Sunday morning
near the end of the service. On Sunday, we read a portion of the Presbyterian Church Declaration of Faith, saying, “We believe in one true and living God. We acknowledge one
God alone, whose demands on us are absolute, whose help for us is sufficient. That One is
the Lord, whom we worship, serve and love.”

I realize, though, that my interest in sports and other things can quickly creep into the time I spend worshipping, serving, and loving the God who is at the center of this declaration, and
I suspect I’m not alone. On Black Friday and Super Bowl Sunday, I often think about the
millions of dollars spent in stores and on advertisements and wonder what would happen if
just a portion (maybe ten percent?) went to some of the most underprivileged areas around
our world.

I wonder, also, what would happen if we decided to allot to God three hours and 53 minutes
of Scripture reading, prayer, and checking in with our neighbor each week?

A year from now, many will not remember which team actually won the game or which
advertisements were the most creative. However, a note sent to an ailing neighbor, a visit to
someone who is grieving, a commitment to daily Bible reading will have an impact that
cannot be measured.

See you at FLPC,
Ed

Works Cited:
“How Much Does a Super Bowl Commercial Cost in 2025? 30-second Ad Hits New Heights.” Available from Neilsen.com